Wheresoever you go,
go with all your heart. - Confucius
by Church of One

Next Tuesday, February 14th is Valentine's Day - a day for lovers, sweethearts, paramours ... and chocoholics. Like it, love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is an annual tradition that will see over one billion valentines will be given out worldwide, 85% of those by women. However you choose to celebrate the holiday, consider making it a little more special with something from Michigan.

There's plenty of delicious Valentine's Day recipes from Pure Michigan at Michigan.org. The Food Network also offers up some culinary advice for Valentine's Day complete with a full Valentine's menu. Lansing's WLNS CBS channel 6 website has a complete Valentine Day section on their website where you can learn all kinds of useful information including (who knew?) that chocolate is an aphrodisiac. The folks at the Grand Rapids Press and mlive.com have some tips for Valentine's Day cooking with kids.

We have to remind you that February is National Cherry Month and cherries make a great and healthy way to bring the distinctive Valentine red into your celebrations. An affordable and tasty non-alcoholic beverage are cherry sparklers made with Michigan cherry juice and sparkling water.

On the adult beverage front, a whopping 95% of wine drinkers agree that wine makes a perfect gift, and you can't go wrong with a  Michigan wine or  Michigan beer! The folks at MyNorth offer a listing of Northern Michigan sparkling wines to set the tone for your celebration. While bubbles are big, beers can also be appreciated. Dianna at Promote Michigan has let us in on her Love Affair with Michigan Beer, which features all kinds of special and regular brews from Michigan's brewmasters. You can stay awake Ann Arbor Brewing's Espresso Love featuring coffee, cozy up to the Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale from Atwater Brewing or go a little lighter with Dragonmead's Redwing Raspberry Wheat. This is a great feature so definitely check it out!

Ginny, You Are My Shining Star by docksidepress

If you're left scratching your head over what to buy him or her, check out the 'Valentine's Day Gift Giving Guide' from WLNS.com.  Don't forget the furry friends in your life either! You can be a homeless pets Valentine when WXYZ-TV 7 in Detroit hosts their Annual Valentine's Day Telethon to support the Michigan Humane Society. Tune in or donate online with the Michigan Humane Society!

If that's not enough and you really want to get your Valentine on, check out Absolute Michigan keyword Valentine for food & gift ideas.

For a little eye candy, you should check out the Valentine slideshow from the Absolute Michigan flickr pool!

We also have a large number of Michigan web sites to check out (though if we're missing one, be sure to add a link to it).

Flowers & Florists - say it with flowers

Chocolate - there's also candy companies

Candles - lighting the way for romance for thousands of years

Jewelry -silver & gold, platinum and bronze, pick your favorite.

Wow, you actually made it to the end of this post - don't forget to buy yourself a little something for Valentines Day!

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This year Mimi and her staff are introducing five brand new fruits in their Tropical Love Valentine's Day Box. The flavors are Mango, Guava, Passion Fruit, Coconut and Blood Orange, and each vegan bonbon is made with a natural fruit puree, is deliciously enhanced by a dark chocolate shell and in a traditional red box! ...and if the "vegan" scares you, it shouldn't - that just means it has no animal products, which in chocolate is normally milk. You may be happy to learn that dark chocolate is particularly good for your heart ... and for Valentine's Day joy!

This item was won by Martha Maloney who writes: I am a native Michigander who hasn't had a trip "home" in 3 years. Looking forward to a visit in August, 2012, to Petoskey, Cross Village and Mackinac Island. Absolute Michigan helps me dream and plan! These will be lovely to share with my husband and 3 boys, my favorite four Valentines, who all love their time in Michigan too!

Grocer's Daughter is offering one of these, shipped to your door to one lucky person. If you're not already registered, just let us know using the link below!

Click here to sign up

And if you don't win, there will be another chance Monday ... and Tuesday ... and Wednesday ... and you get the idea.

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Here's the first of our new The Daily Michigan features, and one of our readers will win 5 pounds of tart cherries! All you need to do to be eligible is to let us know you want to win. We hope you'll sign up to receive our daily email (Monday - Friday) but if that's too much for you, you can choose our just give us your email address on our "We won't email you but you can still win prizes" list! Click to sign up!

February is National Cherry Month, and what better way to celebrate than 5 pounds of plump & tasty dried cherries for all your snacking and baking needs? Cherry Republic is a Glen Arbor, Michigan-based company that sells almost 200 cherry products and employs over 200 people.

Their unique process preserves the natural sugars and flavor of tart dried cherries, and the  versatility of the dried cherries makes them great to buy in bulk. You can substitute them for raisins in any recipe, and they're a healthy alternative to candy in kids lunch boxes, a great addition to stuffings for roasts, easily reconstituted and substituted for fresh cherries!

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Michigan Cherries by jdurchen

Did you know that Michigan is the largest producer of Montmorency tart cherries, growing 70-75% of the crop? February is National Cherry Month, and the Cherry Marketing Institute (link below) has bushels of info about the history and present state of the cherry industry including growing research showing that antioxidants in tart cherries may relieve the pain of arthritis and gout & help fight cancer and heart disease.

Cherry Facts

• Tart cherries are loaded with antioxidants that are believed to relieve the pain of arthritis and gout and help fight cancer and heart disease. They're also especially high in the antioxidant melatonin, which may help prevent or reduce brain deterioration associated with aging. And to top it off, they're high in vitamin A and beta-carotene.
• Cherries were brought to America by early settlers in the 1600s. Cherry trees, in fact, were part of the gardens of French settlers when they established Detroit.
• Peter Dougherty, a Presbyterian missionary on Old Mission Peninsula north of Traverse City, started modern-day cherry production in Michigan in 1852. Now, Michigan grows about 75 percent of the nation's tart cherries and Traverse City calls itself the cherry capital of the world.
• It takes about 250 cherries to make a cherry pie; enough cherries grow on the average cherry tree to make 28 pies, industry officials say.
• Tart cherries ripen two or three weeks after sweet cherries. Look for them in mid to late July.
• Cherries are a truly ancient delicacy - explorers have found cherry pits from the Stone Age in European caves.
• Tart cherries have fewer calories and more beta-carotene than sweet cherries.
• Michigan grows 75 percent of the nation's tart cherries.

For more tasty cherry info, be sure to check these out!

Cherry Marketing Institute is the best place to go for information about this delicious and healthy fruit!

Absolute Michigan's Cherry Links has all kinds of info about the cherry!

Michigan Cherries from Taste the Local Difference is PACKED with all kinds of information and delicious cherry recipes.

Michigan Cherries from the Department of Agriculture

MSU's Michigan Cherry Information features more cherry information than you can shake a whole tree at!

For all things edible, drinkable and wearable, check out Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. They are one of the featured supporters of The Daily Michigan and are giving away 5# of cherries today!

The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City is a celebration of cherries and the cherry industry held every year at the beginning of July.

Video & Photos

Definitely check out the Cherry slideshow from the Absolute Michigan photo group on Flickr. On the video front, we hope you will enjoy 'Cherry Cherry' (circa 1967) by Neil Diamond and also this video of the harvest at an organic cherry farm in Northern Michigan!

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Higher Grounds Trading Co., was voted one of the top Michigan businesses to watch in 2010 and has been a big part of  getting the nonprofit On the Ground off the ground. On the Ground is involved in a variety of projects including the Chiapas Water Project, which brings clean drinking water to coffee growing regions in Mexico; the Run Across Ethiopia, which raises funds for Ethiopian education projects including the construction of schools in Ethiopian coffee-growing communities; and their latest endeavor - the Run Across Palestine. The Run is scheduled for February 2012 and will take place in olive growing centers of Palestine. Funds raised will support the purchasing and planting of thousands of olive trees and provide scholarships for the children of Palestinian olive farmers. Learn all about them and donate at the link above.

The projects of On the Ground share a common theme: supporting the farmers who supply fair-trade, gourmet goods by building infrastructure and capacity in their communities, and Higher Grounds is offering up some great gifts to celebrate the On the Ground\'s projects:

• Coffees for Change support the Chiapas Water Project, which was founded in 2005 after a group of local (Northern Michigan) residents visited Chiapas Mexico and witnessed the illness and poverty perpetuated by lack of access to potable water.
• Seth & May's "New Flower" CD was inspired and written as part of the The Run Across Ethiopia.  Seth and May  played in the schools, learned songs and dance moves from the children, learned Ethiopian scales and melodies from incredible ethio-jazz masters,  shared our music along the journey, sang for the runners, played for the people and ultimately wrote an entire album inspired by the experience.
• Fair Trade Olive Oil benefits Palestinian olive farmers and celebrates the Run Across Palestine.
• Finally, their Coffee Cards are made by the Michigan nonprofit Paperworks Studio which are produced by artists who have special needs and disadvantages.

All you need to do to enter is to be on our email list - sign up in the blue box above! Here's a cool behind the scenes video of the recording of New Flower that you might enjoy!

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Cadeau Creations was born and bred in the wild Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In addition to complete catering services, they have created specially-designed baskets of gourmet goodness from the people, places and soil of the U.P. using the freshest local ingredients and select organic and Fair Trade ingredients. They make a great gift for homesick Yoopers and also your friends, family, employees, co-workers and relatives. Connect with them on Facebook or Twitter!

This week's winner will receive their locally grown & crafted Northern Winter Wonders Basket. It features chocolates, caramels, game meat sausage, smoked Lake Superior fish, Keweenaw jam, and local crafts - all fashioned with Yooper flair. It's a $100 value and all you need to do to be eligible to win is to have your address on our email list - sign up in the blue box above!

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Born December 7, 1919, Fred worked in the store from the start, helping his father build the tiny grocery into a chain of supermarkets. In 1962, under Fred’s leadership, the chain opened its first “Thrifty Acres” store in Grand Rapids, a huge one-stop shopping discount emporium. As the company grew he was always an advocate of promoting people from within, an outspoken champion of civil rights, and a zealot for low prices. Fred – and he was, to his employees, simply “Fred” – was known for his competitive spirit and a keen sense of his own humble origins. In industry affairs, he was one of the longest serving directors of the Food Marketing Institute (formerly the Super Market Institute), and winner of its Sidney Raab award for outstanding service.

In his adopted hometown of Grand Rapids he played a vital role in the early years of the local Urban League and Goodwill Industries, and helped lead downtown urban renewal efforts. In 1984 he worked with a group of civic leaders and friends of President Ford to build the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on the west bank of the Grand River. In those years he also served on the Cleveland District Board of the Federal Reserve. More recently, he was an active member of the Improvement Association.

In the video below, a rough cut of interviews and photos, Meijer tells a wonderful story about as customer coming in to the family store to return an off brand of cereal for Kellogg's. Fred was about to tell the customer it had been purchased  at a competitor's store when his father said "Shut up Fred, we can eat the cereal." The message he learned: Don't send a customer to a competitor for a dime.

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Traverse Gourmet was started by Cile & Norm Plumstead who believe that northern Michigan has it all - seasons, people, and food that all work together to make the area a great place to visit, to live and (above all) to eat. Their goal is to present a variety of their favorite artisan foods from northern Michigan. As a 1% for the Planet member, Traverse Gourmet donates at least one percent of our sales to local environmental organizations.

Norm explains: "We’ve chosen our food artisans selectively - each one placing an emphasis on naturally produced, organic and fair trade products. In addition, all our gourmet food gifts come packaged in a reusable, recycled cotton tote, and, where possible, our partners use earth-friendly packaging."

Their roster is impressive - locally grown ingredients melded with handmade, fair trade chocolates from Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate, coffee from Higher Grounds Trading Company (Michigan’s only organic and fair trade coffee roaster), jams & jellies from Food For Thought (the first and only fair trade preserve maker in the nation), organic nut butters from Naturally Nutty and many more.

The North Bar Beach Gift includes Food For Thought Organic Salsa Virtuoso™, Great Lakes Tortilla Chips, Grocer's Daughter Pecan Thyme bar, Great Lakes Tea & Spice Basalmic Fish Rub, Naturally Nutty Organic Peanut Butter, Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery Golden Wheat Bread ... all in a Traverse Gourmet recycled cotton tote!

All you have to do to be eligible is have your email on our mailing list - sign up in the blue box at the top and stay tuned!!

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Cranberries by argusmaniac

Red Beauties in Lake Magazine's 2006 Holiday Issue is an engaging look at cranberry farming in Michigan. Although Michigan only has a small number of cranberry farms in the northeast, Upper Peninsula, and the southwestern corner of the state along Lake Michigan totaling about 250 acres - compared to more than 18,000 acres in nation-leading Wisconsin - the state does have all the requirements to grow a cranberry industry. The feature also provides a look at what's involved in cranberry farming, and I have to say I learned a thing or two!

For more about the official fruit of Thanksgiving, you can go to the Cranberry Institute, which features tons of information about the purported health benefits of cranberries. Although it's probably not what you'll put on your table next Thursday, Locavorious has a tasty Michigan Cranberries in Cranberry Apple Pork Loin Roast along with some information about Michigan cranberry farms. You can get a nice recipe for cranberry pie from Michigan-based Kitchen Chick. Michigan's leading producer is  Centennial Cranberry Farm way up on Whitefish Point (near Paradise, MI), and their site is loaded with cranberry information & recipes. In closing, here's a simple recipe that you can make with 100% Michigan ingredients. We'll  try out in the Absolute Michigan kitchen next week and report back!

Baked Cranberry Acorn Squash

4 small acorn squash
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup Michigan maple syrup
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place cut side down in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Turn cut side up. Combine remaining ingredients; fill squash with fruit mixture. Continue baking for 25 minutes or till squash is tender. Makes 8 servings.

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The 2011 Grand Rapids Wine, Beer & Food Festival takes place Thursday, November 17th through Saturday, November 19th at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. It draws over 10,000 over three days, making it the largest food and wine festival in Michigan and one of the premier events of its kind in the Midwest. Classes, tastings from restaurants & food vendors and pairings are all structured to take the expert or novice deeper into the world of wine, food and other culinary delights.

The festival presents over 1000 beers, wines, ciders and spirits for tasting, and many are crafted in Michigan. While the festival started with a focus on wine, beer gets its due as well, with the Michigan Brewers Guild-sponsored Craft Brew Hall offering a chance to sample dozens of these full flavored brews and to meet the brewmasters.

Show Manager  Cathleen McDonald  explains that this massive variety of food & drink has been a huge asset, saying "The show has grown because the public loves the opportunity to sample wines, beer & spirits without having to purchase the entire bottle.  They can find that great everyday wine that they can purchase at the grocery store or try the products that they would only have dreamed about."

One of the many innovative & engaging features at the festival are the champagne, wine & beer pairings developed by Grand Rapids restaurants - multi-course meals presented by the chef. A number of restaurants are also providing "small plate" samples of their prize cuisine. There's more than just wine to be sampled at the Festival! An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. There's also seminars from presenters including winemaker John Concannon, wine educator and sommelier Michael Schafer, New Holland Brewing Company Beervangelist and Michigan Brewers Guild Past-President Fred Bueltman, author and Food Network  host Ellie Krieger and "The Fresh Chef" Amanda Leatherman.

Absolute Michigan is excited to offer FOUR free tickets to the Grand Rapids Wine, Beer & Food Festival to one of our readers - just use the email blank at the top to get your name on our list and have a shot at winning. We'll notify the winner next Wednesday!

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Kathy Siler of the Michigan Ag Council has a great article entitled In Search of the Great Michigan Pumpkin that notes that US Department of Agriculture’s statistics for 2010 ranked Michigan second in the nation with 7,400 acres of pumpkins planted. She also tells the centuries old legend of Stingy Jack, the Irish cheapskate who gave the name to the Jack-o-lantern and shares a lot information, including a recipe for Pilgrim Pumpkin Pie. While we are a big producer, the Kalamazoo News says that the 2011 pumpkin crop is a little smaller than usual, so today might be a good day to head to your local pumpkin patch!

The best listing we found is at Pumpkin Patches and more. Taste the Local Difference has a nice list of northern Michigan pumpkin farms and notes that in early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling. We'll explore that in the Absolute Michigan kitchens and report! Their Pumpkin page has more facts including:

• Pumpkins are a nutritious, low-fat, low-calorie food.
• They are high in potassium and Vitamin A and are also a good source of beta-carotene.
• Pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium, copper and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.
• There are many varieties of pumpkins besides the standard Jack-O-Lantern and pie pumpkins. Some especially fun ones are Jack B. Little miniatures, white pumpkins, Australian Blues, and Atlantic Giants.
• Pumpkins were once believed to eliminate freckles and were used as a remedy for snakebites.

Click through for more and a slew of great pumpkin recipes including Pumpkin Butter, Pumpkin Nachos (seriously), Pumpkin Thyme Rigatoni, and Potage au Potiron, a delicious soup made in the pumpkin! Pumpkins aren't just for eating - some of Michigan's brewmasters have brewed up some pumpkin ales. Click that link for a list and don't forget about Jolly Pumpkin and their La Parcela Pumpkin Ale!

Of course the main use of pumpkins at this time of year is carving, and Michigan has some incredible artisans including "Pumpkin Ed" Moody, a specialist in giant pumpkin carving. Click the photo to see some of his work and also to learn about his new project, Karving for Kids that will allow Ed to carve for kids at Children's Hospitals around the country. You can see another astonishing pumpkin carver in action in the video below!

Much more pumpkiny goodness at Absolute Michigan keyword pumpkin!

As promised, here's a CBS News video of Michigan master carver Ray Villafane - this guy's work is jaw-dropping!

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Brother Nature Produce Urban Farm
by Michigan Municipal League (MML)

A couple of weeks ago NPR Weekend Edition had an interesting feature on urban farming in Detroit:

Detroit is a surprisingly green landscape during the spring and summer months. The site of many houses that are crumbling, boarded up or missing altogether is tempered by community gardens and even some urban farms.

There are some serious urban gardeners in this country, but few can match the agricultural output of Paul Weertz.

"I farm about 10 acres in the city, and alfalfa's my thing. I bale about a thousand bales a year," he says.

...Weertz has been buying abandoned homes and vacant parcels in his neighborhood, where lots go for as little as $300. He's been encouraging young people who want to farm to move into the neighborhood. Weertz's neighbor, Carolyn Leadley, runs Rising Pheasant Farms when she's not caring for her 10-month-old son.

"We're definitely micro-farming, but we're making a living off a sixth of an acre," Leadley says. "I've been very pleased — pleasantly surprised at how much I've been able to pay myself per hour. We took on an employee. I'm like, 'OK, We're a real business now. We have to pay taxes and do things right.' "

Click through to listen to the feature and see some photos, and speaking of photos, the MML has several more photos from the Brother Nature Farm in Detroit which is mentioned story. Speaking of Brother Nature, check out this awesome video about Brother Nature Farm!

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Enjoy a cup of Summer~ by Blondieyooper

Taste the Local Difference says that blackberries are ready to pick! Blackberries are very high in Vitamin C and K and manganese and a good source of Vitamin E, folate, magnesium, potassium, and copper. They have one of the highest levels of the antioxidant antocyanin, which may help fight cancer, aging, and improve vision. Some fun facts:

• Blackberries are also known as "black caps"
• Blackberry tea was considered a cure for dysentery during the Civil War
• The blackberry leaf was used as a hair dye
• Blackberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow

In addition to great recipes for Wild Greens and Chevre in a Blackberry Cider Vinaigrette and Blackberries With Mint Tea Syrup And Yogurt, they have a really easy and tasty looking recipe for...

Blackberry and Peach Buttermilk Cobbler

blackberries by PepOmint

1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. cornstarch
3/4 lb. peaches, pitted and thickly sliced
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter cut into large pieces
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6-oz blackberries

Preheat oven to 375 °F. In a medium bowl whisk together maple syrup and cornstarch then add peaches and toss to coat; set aside. Put butter into an 8-inch round or square glass or metal cake pan. Heat in oven just until butter is melted, 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt then stir in buttermilk and mix until just combined to make a thick batter. Pour into pan over melted butter without stirring. Sprinkle reserved peach mixture and blackberries evenly over top of batter and bake until golden and bubbly, 50 to 55 minutes.

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Strawberry season wrapped up in southern Michigan? Head north for more! Thanks to the varying differences in temperatures along Lake Michigan, growing seasons are frequently staggered from one part of the state to the next. And who doesn’t love strawberries? Favorite strawberry farms include Kiteley’s Farm in Charlevoix, Ware Farm in Bear Lake and in Amish country in southern Michigan.

So, what’s your favorite fruit and veggie growing right now? We’re digging cherries, blueberries, kale and cucumbers. Being enthusiastic fans of Michigan wine, we also have some favorite summertime sips:

Sharon’s sips: Black Star Farms Pinot Grigio, Chateau Grand Traverse Gamay Noir, Domaine Berrien Marsanne and Sandhill Crane Vineyards Vignoles

Lorri’s sips: Michigan Dry Riesling and Leelanau Cellars Fishtown White, and when feeling bubbly, L. Mawby's Detroit or Sex.

On a recent visit to Northern Natural Winery in Benzonia, we discovered organic hard ciders and fruit wines made with fruit from more than a dozen regional farms. These fruitier wines are for the sweeter wine drinkers; though, the hard apple cider is surprisingly dry and quite refreshing! Located at the juncture of US-31 and M-115, this newer winery offers a comfy respite amid farmland and close to the lakeshore. Just up the road, pick saskatoons, gooseberries, and raspberries in season at Putney’s U-Pick Berries farm.

Speaking of Northern Michigan and deliciousness, be sure to check out Mario Batali's take on the Northern Michigan food scene!

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Ann Arbor June 2009
by RichardDemingPhotography

Ed Vielmetti is the Paul Revere of Michigan strawberries. The Ann Arbor area is usually the first in Michigan to see ripe berries, and Ed says that 'U-Pick' strawberries are ready this week in SE Michigan! Ed advises:

The pick-your-own strawberry season is short. Typically there are only three or four weeks when the berries in the fields are ripe enough to pick, and some years there are only two weekends when they are out in enough quantities where you can count on getting enough to freeze, turn into jam or prepare in quantities at reasonable prices.

Leora picking Michigan
strawberries by Blondieyooper

While strawberries are not yet ready to pick in Northern Michigan, Taste the Local Difference has some great information about strawberries & their uses.

Strawberries are grown in every county of Michigan and your fun fact of the day is that 53% of seven to nine year olds say strawberries are their favorite fruit. Strawberries are high in iron and Vitamin C - Eight strawberries will provide 14% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C for kids - and have less than 60 calories per cup. I recently read that you can mix strawberries and baking soda to form an at-home tooth whitening compound but you should probably read more about the ins and outs of DIY tooth whitening first.

Wild Strawberries by Rudy Malmquist

The MDA's Michigan Strawberries page has a ton of strawberry purchasing, growing and preparation info and some great strawberry lore, such as the fact that strawberries were a symbol of perfection and righteousness that medieval stone masons carved on altars and around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals and that:

In parts of Bavaria, country folk still practice the annual rite each spring of tying small baskets of wild strawberries to the horns of their cattle as an offering to elves. They believe that the elves, who are passionately fond of strawberries, will help to produce healthy calves and abundance of milk in return.

If you have some strawberries left over after tying them to the neighbor's cow (and trying out the Strawberry Shortcake Recipe from Bad Bab's Grandma), consider the recipe for Strawberry Sorbet after the jump!

Strawberry Sorbet (serves 6-8, courtesy Joy of Cooking/Taste the Local Difference)

Taste of summer by BAD BAB

2/3 cup water
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
5 cups or 2 lbs. fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or other liqueur (optional)

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan, over low heat, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3-5 minutes). Boil the mixture for one minute then remove from heat. Pour the sugar syrup into a heatproof container, and place in the refrigerator until completely chilled, about an hour or so.

Meanwhile, thaw the strawberries and then place the thawed strawberries in a food processor and process until the strawberries are pureed. Transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and liqueur (if using), and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled. If using fresh strawberries, puree the berries in the food processor, transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and liqueur (if using), and place in the refrigerator until chilled.

Once the simple syrup and pureed strawberries are completely chilled, combine the simple syrup with the pureed strawberries. Pour the mixture into a 8 inch or 9 inch stainless steel pan (sorbets will freeze faster in stainless steel), cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer. When the sorbet is completely frozen (3 to 4 hours), remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature until partially thawed. Transfer the partially thawed sorbet to the food processor, and process to break up the large ice crystals that have formed on the sorbet. (This step is what gives the sorbet its wonderful fluffy texture.) Place the sorbet back into the pan and refreeze for at least three hours, and up to several days.

Note: If you taste the sorbet after freezing and find the amount of sugar is not right, adjust the level of sugar by adding a little sugar syrup (too little sugar in sorbet) or water (too much sugar in sorbet) and then refreeze the sorbet. The sorbet is not affected by thawing and refreezing.

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You can download the guide as a PDF or pick it up at farms, markets and other places that feature local food across Northwest Michigan. A highlight is their Spend 10 Local Dollars Campaign, which encourages people to make a pledge to spend $10 weekly on local food products. Taste the Local Difference project director Janice Benson says:

"The guide helps people find local food, and combining that with a commitment by families to spend at least $10 each week on local food will significantly boost our local economy. We have a lot of great produce throughout the summertime, but we also have meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beverages, and much more that is available to us all year long."

DoF Asparagus by RichardDemingPhotography

You can get all the details and  make the pledge, search farm markets & businesses for all kinds of products, view tasty recipes and more at localdifference.org. Try some of these ways to make a difference in your community with $10 or more a week!

• Buying local meat, fish, eggs, and produce from your local grocer, restaurant, or farmer.
• Ordering a glass of local wine, cider, or other beverage that includes locally grown items at dinner.
• Ordering a menu item that includes locally grown items at a restaurant.
• Becoming a member of a CSA farm.
• Ordering food for office lunches and parties that includes locally grown items.
• Purchasing locally grown food products for holiday gifts and entertaining. (Jams, honeys, cheeses, dried cherry mix, salsas, etc.)
• Buying local cream for your daily coffees and local teas that include locally grown herbs and fruit.

We'll add one more - check out Absolute Michigan's Michigan Grown section and search for all kinds of great Michigan products that can help you help your neighbors!

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The Elusive Black Morel
by cedarkayak

1. Morechella, true morels, are a honeycomb-like mushroom that  are prized by chefs the world over. The Great Morel Homepage can take you a lot deeper with links about the science of  these woodland delicacies. If you're looking for information about hunting morels this feature on Leelanau.com has some great tips to help you hunt and to be a good citizen of Morel Nation. Ed Vielmetti in Ann Arbor has a bunch more thoughts on the hunt.  MichiganMorels.com has tons of information as well about where to look, saying: Black morel habitats includes Ash, Fruit and Aspen trees (also known as: Popple or Poplar) or even lawns and fields.White (yellow) morels especially like Elm, Fruit trees, and Maple. And in southern Michigan, the Tulip Poplar tree is a good host.

2. When you find morels, you're going to want to cook them. The easiest tip is to soak them and rinse very well - they do have a lot of "grit" - and then fry them in butter. You can of course do a lot more with them. Check that Leelanau.com article and the recipes page at The Great Morel (one suggests a Michigan Dry Riesling pairing - we couldn't agree more!). Even if you don't find morels, you can buy them from Michigan-based Earthy Delights. On their recipes page they offer several ideas including Spring Wild Harvest Ragout With Fiddlehead Greens & Morels!

My favorite part of Spring by Apocaplops

3. Michigan loves its morels and we have two great morel celebrations. The first happens this weekend: the annual Mesick Morel Festival (May 6-8, 2011). The second is the National Morel Mushroom Festival in Boyne City which takes place May 12-15, 2011. When you click that link you'll hear the strains of the Mushroomers Waltz, and when you visit the festival, you'll have a chance to taste an incredible array of morel dishes and enjoy an experience much like  Absolute Michigan did a couple of years ago.

4. Finding morels means knowing what they look like, and being able to distinguish them from poisonous false morels. You can see a whole bunch in the Michigan Morel Slideshow from the  Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr, including one from Sunday posted by the Honor Motel.  Michigan in Pictures has a bagful of photos and articles about morels as well. If you want to share YOUR photos with us, add them to the .Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr or post them to the Absolute Michigan Facebook!

5. There's a bunch of great videos out there on morels including a sweet time lapse of a morel growing over 8 days by Ken Scott, a nice tour of the Michigan woods in morel season, one with Zachary Trost and morel expert Tom Nauman and a very nice primer to morel hunting from Country Living. I have to go with my buddy Tony Williams and the Boyne City Morel Fest - enjoy and good hunting!!

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The perfect pairing. Peanut butter and jelly. Tom and Jerry. William and Kate. Travel along any wine trail in Michigan and you'll find another pinnacle of pairings: wine and chocolate. The cacao bean derives from along the equator, yet artistry of handcrafted chocolates is found copiously in Michigan. Here, we give you the dish on Michigan wine and chocolate pairings.

Shady Lane Blue Franc - Village Chocolatier chocolates

Northwest Michigan

On Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City, find fabulous fudge by Dove Cottage of Clare at Brys Estate. The Brys tasting room team raves that the fudge pairs "most beautifully" with their Signature Red. Dark chocolate fudge is also featured among the "light appetizers" offered with private tastings in the barrel or cask room. And while the fudge is delicious with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the pairing with Signature Red reigns supreme. Vintner Eileen Brys says, "Dark chocolate and red wine is a match made in heaven."

Jaunt over to Black Star Farms' TASTES at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons for chocolate desserts, like the Chocolate Torture Torte with white chocolate bark and chocolate ganache, prepared by the chef of the Inn at Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay. Pair with Sirius Cherry or Sirius Raspberry dessert wines for ultimate decadency. You'll also find heavenly, natural chocolates in the winery's tasting rooms. Infused with cherry and apple eau de vies (fruit brandies), the treats are made by Patricia's Chocolates of Grand Haven.

Wine and chocolate at TASTES

Over in Cedar at Longview Winery, experience Vintner Alan Eaker's wines followed by delicious Charles Layton Chocolate truffles made with the winery's cherry port. Afterward, head to Grocer's Daughter Chocolates in Empire for artisan Rainforest Alliance certified chocolate blended with Chateau Chantal's cherry port. And finally, a stop at Cherry Republic Winery in Glen Arbor is sure to delight you with homemade fudge and cherry-inspired wines.

Northeast Michigan

On the sunrise side in Alpena, Stoney Acres Winery offers mouth-watering, scrumptious truffles crafted by local chocolatier Danielle Mulvena of Speechless Chocolates. The creamy, rich chocolates are infused with the winery's cherry wine, raspberry wine, Silver City red wine (Merlot) or Thunder Bay red wine (Concord). In East Tawas, stock up on Village Chocolatier chocolates for pairing with your favorite Michigan wines.

Southwest Michigan

In Coloma in southwest Michigan, just a mile south of I-94, sink your teeth into sensual, silky balls of goodness at The Chocolate Garden. Favorites are decadent dark chocolates infused with Contessa Wine Cellar's Lago Rosso red wine and milk chocolates spiked with St. Julian's Solera Cream Sherry.

Chocolate Garden wine truffles

For nearby wine tasting, visit Contessa Wine Cellars and Karma Vista Vineyards, both conveniently located a brief drive north of this heavenly chocolate destination.

Southeast Michigan

In the Jackson region, Sandhill Crane Vineyards offers a covered-in-chocolate bottle of raspberry wine. Gently break away the chocolate, savor and pair with sips of this luxurious dessert wine. Also, the Moffatt family just announced new "baby cakes," chocolate cupcakes made with their raspberry wine by Oh Susanna Specialty Cupcakes of Jackson.

South of Jackson, near Michigan Speedway, Cherry Creek Cellars Old Schoolhouse is a winery and fudgery. John Burtka crafts the wine and his wife Denise crafts a new batch of fudge every week. Stop in for tastings of sweet to dry wines and tastings of fudge with flavors ranging from chocolate to vanilla and nutty. Wine and chocolate: a glorious pairing any time of year.

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As I sipped a glass of delicious Michigan Maple sap this morning, I realized that I can't help but say a little bit more about sap and syrup and spring.   Yesterday I blogged a photo to Michigan in Pictures that got me thinking about sap and how delicious a cold glass or two can be, and someone told me about a New York Times article about how South Koreans prefer drinking maple sap to making syrup.

The Michigan Maple Syrup Association has some great facts about Michigan maple syrup including:

Reflection by PLskell

• Michigan ranks 5th in maple syrup production in the United States.
• Average maple syrup production in Michigan is about 90,000 gallons per year.
• Economic contributions of the pure maple syrup industry to Michigan are nearly $2.5 million annually.
• There are an estimated 500 commercial maple syrup producers in Michigan with some 2,000 additional hobby or home use producers.
• The production of pure maple syrup is the oldest agricultural enterprise in the United States and maple syrup is one of the few agricultural crops in which demand exceeds supply.
• In an average year, each tap-hole will produce about 10 gallons of maple sap, enough for about a quart of pure Michigan maple syrup.
• It takes approximately 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup.
• The maple season in Michigan starts in February in the southern counties and runs well into April in the Upper Peninsula. The budding of maple trees makes the maple syrup taste bitter.
• Freezing and thawing temperatures create pressure and force the sap out of the tree.
• Maple syrup is classified as one of nature's most healthful foods and has may minerals per tablespoon: 20 milligrams of calcium, 2 milligrams of phosphorus, 0.2 milligrams of iron, 2 milligrams of sodium, 35 milligrams of potassium.
• Michigan has a Maple Queen, who is selected each January and a Maple Syrup Week held in March of each year.

We also have two maple syrup festivals: the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival and the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival - both at the end of April.

Michigan in Pictures has more about maple syrup including The Cycle of Sweetness: From Sap to Maple Syrup that takes you through the entire process of making maple syrup and you can also read a little about how Native Americans made maple sugar.

Absolute Michigan has lots of Michigan maple syrup stories and links, including this great video from the Mayfield Sugar Bush by Scott Allman we featured a few years ago, enjoy it and enjoy REAL syrup!

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Hamtramck's Pazcki Day page gives you all kinds of lore and legend on these traditional Polish doughnuts which are also known as Bismarcks or plain old jelly doughnuts. They explain:

PÄ…czki is the plural form of the word pÄ…czek in Polish, but many English speakers use paczki as singular and paczkis as plural. A pÄ…czek is a deep-fried piece of dough shaped into a flattened sphere and filled with Plums or other sweet filling...

Pączki have been known in Poland at least since the Middle Ages. Jędrzej Kitowicz has described that during the reign of the August III under influence of French cooks who came to Poland at that time, pączki dough baked in Poland has been improved, so that pączki became lighter, spongier, and more resilient Pączki Day Traditionally, the reason for making paczki has been to use up all the lard, sugar and fruit in the house, which are forbidden during Lent.

I guess that if you're facing 40 days without sugar & fruit, a plateful of paczki makes a lot more sense. Dig in with the links below!

• The photo to the right comes from Wikipedia's PÄ…czki entry.
• Forgot to buy your paczkis? Vina at recipezaar has an Authentic Polish Paczki recipe that she found handwritten in her Polish grandmother's cookbook!
• The Paczki Headquarters at the Hamtramck Star is packed with paczki goodness including photos of paczki as big as your head!
• Your Diet Is About To Meet It's Nemesis (or why it's called Fat Tuesday in Detroit) by Detroit Derek on Michigan in Pictures got this big ball of dough rolling!
• You can get even more photos at Flickr Hive Mind: Paczki
• There's a bunch more Pazcki Day info at Kitchen Chick including audio of the correct pronunciation of paczki and the story of   THE FAMOUS PACZKI THAT SAVED EUROPE!
• If you need a sound track to get going, head over to paczkiday.com.
• ArborWiki has a Paczki entry that includes a list of the best bakeries in Hamtramck.
• Absolute Michigan has more Hamtramck links for you to snack on.
  
• The Freep is supposed to be posting the results of their Paczki Limerick Contest this morning but haven't ... maybe they're in a food coma.
• What kid can resist Paczki Pals & Bobbleheads?

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Click that cherry to the left to Choose Cherries on Facebook. You can get bushels more cherry goodness including our Eat Local: Michigan Cherries feature at absolutemichigan.com/Cherry! We also have a video feature on U-Pick Cherries at King Orchards in northern Michigan and click the photo to the right for the cherries slideshow from the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr. More cherry thoughts? Post them in the comments!

Celebrate National Cherry Month with Michigan Cherries

It may seem odd to talk about cherries in the middle of February, but February is National Cherry Month, and as residents of the world's cherry capital, we Michiganders tend to think about cherries year-round. Cherry orchards line the eastern shore of Lake Michigan from Benton Harbor to Charlevoix, producing 75% of the tart cherries grown in the US.   Long before the first of these orchards was ever planted by man, this geographically unique area was a thick tangle of wild pin cherry, chokecherry and black cherry trees, evidence of how ideally suited our lakeshore is to the cultivation of this beloved fruit.

Here, rolling hills of sandy loam slope upward along the shore into the prevailing west wind.   As the first warm winds of spring move over the lake, they're cooled by this great cold mass of water — a disappointment to winter-weary humans but a boon to vulnerable cherry trees that could be deceived by the tantalizing warmth of early spring into budding and blossoming before the danger of killing frost had passed.

In summer, the lake effect brings cool nights at the end of each hot, summer day, which slows the maturation of fruit and allows Michigan cherries to develop a depth and complexity not found in others that ripen more quickly.

As the seasons progress and the air grows colder, the lake remains a reservoir of warmth. Throughout the winter, the abundant lake effect snow produced by this mingling of warm and cold builds up in deep, wet drifts in the dormant orchards along Lake Michigan's leeward shores, enveloping the delicate roots and lower trunks of fragile cherry trees in a thick, insulating blanket that protects them from winter kill.

Without this great lake, Michigan could not produce cherries in such quantity and of such quality as to have earned the reputation of Cherry Capital.

Read more at the Spoon Blog and definitely dig into some of their  tart cherry specialties.

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Mack-in-touch Apples by ( Jennifer )

A month ago, Absolute Michigan participated in the the Creating Michigan Culinary Destinations conference (read our live blog) where the Michigan Culinary Tourism initiative was launched. For the video below, we spoke with Melody Johnson of the International Culinary Tourism Association, keynote speaker Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's, Linda Jones of the Michigan Wine & Grape Council and a number of attendees to get a sense of what culinary tourism can mean for Michigan.

Check out the Michigan Culinary Tourism page for links to foodie tours and other resources.  We're also wondering about your thoughts on how culinary tourism can play a role in Michigan's future - let us know your thoughts and interesting culinary experiences in the comments!

This video features photos from several photographers from the Absolute Michigan pool: blondieyooper, richard deming photography, photoshoparama, oldog_oltrix, southen, detroit derek, trish p and jennifer. Stay tuned to absolutemichigan.com/Culinary for the latest on Michigan's booming epicurean industry!

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All day today the Absolute Michigan team is at Creating Michigan Culinary Destinations, Michigan's first conference on Culinary Tourism. The conference was a hot ticket, and nearly 200 tourism industry stakeholders are getting ready to learn about Michigan's new initiative to increase tourism. You can learn all about the Michigan Culinary Tourism Inititative at that link and read on for updates as we have them!

Zingerman's Delicatessen by Ashley Dinges

1:30 pm The lunch keynote speaker is Ari Weinzweig of one of the giants of Michigan 's food scene, Zingerman's in Ann Arbor. Ari is definitely a fast talker, and related that he got started washing dishes at Maude's, and at that time, Tang and Space Sticks were his culinary adventures. He met co-founder Paul Saginaw at Maude's and -  5 years after opening a deli in a town that wouldn't support delis  at a location with no parking that people couldn't find - was hailed as a genius. Today the Zingerman's empire does $38 million in annual sales.

Ari says that (for him at least) all tourism is culinary. He relates  some "natural laws" from his book A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Building a Great Business that he thinks relate to building an authentic culinary destination. Natural law #1 is that an inspiring, strategically sound vision leads to greatness. He cautions that although  great visions come  from the heart, you need to develop your vision with enough richness and depth that people can understand what you're talking about. He shared a bit of the vision for the West Side Farmer's Market. With lines like "All these products have a story and none of them have traveled very far to get here," it's really clear that vision is a big part of what drives Zingerman's.

His 2nd law is "You need to give your customers some really compelling reasons to buy from you." He quotes Jim Hightower "Ain't nothing in the middle of the road but 2 yellow lines and a whole lot of dead armadillos." He  recommends that we seek to create offerings that have appeal for tourists AND residents to create a more resilient and dynamic customer base.

He closes with his belief that the customer experience is the most important thing. He breaks a recent study regarding employee attitudes toward their workplace into football terms: of the 11 players on a football team, only 4 know where the goal is, just two care who wins the game and all but 2 are just as likely to be  rooting for the other team as their own! Does this sound like your business? If it does, what can you do to change it? Ari suggests that maybe Michigan could steal a page from Hawaii and adopt the Ojibway word for welcome and become "The Aaniin State" ... because someone has to be the most welcoming place in country!

Cheers, ©n.wamsley

11:45 am - At the Building Lodging & Tour Packages session, Heather Price of Sandhill Crane Vineyards talked about the "Big Grape Bus" wine event they offer through the Pioneer Wine Trail in SE Michigan and all the pieces   - wine & food pairings, transportation, lodging and entertainment - that come together to create a compelling event. Steve Timmer of the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City echoed the importance of providing an all-inclusive experience and listed some of the things that his resort does including focusing on bringing local wines into their wine shop and even working with attendees on a cooking show.

One attendee (whose location shall remain nameless) wondered what to do when your area has little to offer in terms of culinary tourism. Steve suggested focusing on PR to invite food writers and the media and of course to leverage social media wherever possible. I asked him about if he had a sense whether today's traveler is more or less interested in packages. He said that while packaging remains an important part of travel marketing, he's finding that people are less interested in packages, preferring to design their own experiences. To me, that suggests that it's really important for all players in the culinary travel industry to make their services and offerings clearly available across a wide spectrum of media, including that most old-fashioned of media: making your friends and neighbors aware of what you do!

The Bar @ Hopcat by stevedontsurf

11 am The "Marketing Your Culinary Destination" featured Dianna Stamfler of Promote Michigan, Sam Porter of Porterhouse Productions and Paul Stermer of Fair Food Matters. An audience member asked Sam how he got his nearly 300 volunteers. He answered "It's all about fun. We take care of them pre and post event and engage them as partners to market and develop the events." He also suggested engaging your fans to help you grow your social media network. The audience seemed to agree that social media is a vital component of an overall strategy.

Dianna mentioned that it's the first-ever  Michigan Beer Week in Kalamazoo.  It's been developed  in conjunction with the Winter Beer Conference and bars, restaurants and retailers will be teaming up to offer beer tastings, tap takeovers, brewer meet-and-greets and other special events.

Charlevoix Michigan Peppers by DTWpuck

10  am Melody Johnson of the International Culinary Tourism Association was next up. She shared examples from all over the world of how everyone from third world nations on up the economic ladder are turning to culinary tourism as an economic driver. She cited rocketing technological advancements and our exploding interest in food as two prime drivers and talked about FLOSS (Fresh Local Organic Sustainable and Self-absorbed food). With  your average meal travelling 1500 miles, FLOSS is a concept that can  help keep food local.    Melody also gave a shoutout the the new "Boyne Appetit" marketing effort for Boyne City.

She showed three pictures - a museum, roller coaster and nice plate of food, and reminded attendees that food & drink IS an attraction as well, illustrating it with her discovery of Founder's apricot wheat - a beer that she had last night with dinner and very much enjoyed. It's not something you're likely to find outside of Michigan, so to have it again, she'll have to return. "The Michigan Experience" is what visitors are seeking - unique and memorable experiences that a tourist can brag about when he or she returns home.

9:40 am Steve Loftis of the Michigan Restaurant Association offered some thoughts about where Michigan's restaurants are and what will be on their radar in 2011. One of his recommendations is that restaurants look to younger/technologically savvy members of  their staff for  ideas on more effectively using technology to acquire new patrons, but also to work more with existing customers.  He also stated that "the L word" should be on everyone's mind as they work with their menu, trying to add more local offerings.

grits & bits (pre-syrup)
by jenny murray

9:15 am Linda Jones of the Michigan Wine & Grape Council opened the conference with an introduction to culinary tourism. One new resource for culinary tourists that she pointed out are the Michigan Foodie Tours.
The foodie tours feature local food and unique experiences from the whitefish and pasties of the western UP to the 200 restaurants of Ann Arbor.

7 am Last night I had a chance to talk with Melody Johnson, a founding member  of the International Culinary Tourism Association. Melody is the organization's Community Manager and helps partners develop collaborations and inititiatives to capitalize on their culinary tourism assets. She gave me a simple thought to frame the day: "You always need to keep in mind what your customers  want to be successful. When people are coming to Michigan, they are wanting Michigan. They want authentic culinary experiences, the flavors and experiences that they can only get here."

Although saying "It's the food, silly" may seem a little simplistic, as the nation's second most agriculturally diverse state, Michigan is in a unique position to tout itself as an unparalleled food destination. The local food movement has already started many on the path to promoting the strength and quality of Michigan food & drink and this effort will hopefully encourage many more to  "make it a Michigan wine/beer/fill in the blank."

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My Life In the Bush of Ghosts by DaddyNewt

Be afraid, be very afraid!!! Once again our Fearsome Finder of Frights has compiled a list of haunted houses, corn mazes and scary attractions. You can also check Absolute Michigan keyword haunted and (as always) if you know of one we missed, please post it in the comments!

Spooky Quotes

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world. ~William Shakespeare

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!" ~ Dexter Kozen

Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title. ~Shaggy from Scooby-Doo

History of Halloween - Wikipedia

Halloween has origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain [pronounced: sow- wen] (Irish pronunciation: [ˈsˠaunʲ]; from the Old Irish samhain, possibly derived from Gaulish samonios). The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year". Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Celts believed that on October 31st, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the living and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks being worn at Halloween goes back to the Celtic traditions of attempting to copy the evil spirits or placate them, in Scotland for instance where the dead were impersonated by young men with masked, veiled or blackened faces, dressed in white

A Halloween treat for retailers: Higher sales
Americans plan to spend an average of $66.28 on costumes, candy and decorations, up from $56.31 last year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation - via Chicago Tribune

Halloween could be a little less scary for retailers this year, with consumers expected to spend considerably more on the Oct. 31 holiday than they did last year.

Americans say they plan to spend an average of $66.28 on costumes, candy and decorations, above the $56.31 they budgeted last year and in line with the $66.54 figure in 2008, according to a survey released last week by the National Retail Federation.

Total spending for the holiday is expected to reach $5.8 billion, with an estimated 148 million Americans partaking in some sort of celebration. Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, turning the weekend into a chance to mark the holiday.

Paranormal resources and groups in Michigan

Michigan's Otherside - Your guide to Michigan's paranormal world & beyond

Haunted Places in Michigan

Haunted Michigan

West Michigan Ghost Hunters Society

SE Michigan Ghost Hunters Society

Ghost Hunters of Southern Michigan

Motor City Haunt Club

Find a pumpkin patch near you

The U-Pick Farms & Farmer's Market Directory

"Halloween History" - from National Geographic

Also check out the History Channel's 5 part video series "The Haunted History Of Halloween" on You Tube.

The 2010 Michigan Haunted Houses, Mazes & Attractions List - We have to caution you that many of these sites are graphic - parental guidance is advised!

Amazing Acres Corn Maze and Pumpkin Farm - Edwardsburg
Amazing Acres Corn Maze and Pumpkin Farm is a truly unique family entertainment experience. Take some time this Fall to make memories that will last a lifetime. The farm is over 90 acres and is packed with events for every member of the family, young or old. Explore the 14 acre corn maze with over 3.5 miles of paths. Keep a watchful eye for the 12 hidden check points! The Maze is available both Day and Night!

Amazing Corn Maze - Leonard
Can You Find Your Way Out?

Bestmaze - Williamston/Webberville
If another maze you are interested in will not put their picture on the website there is a reason!!! We have had a system in place for years of sweeping through our maze at end of each night. Even if we have no cars in the Bestmaze lot we still sweep through the maze in case a few kids were dropped off and parents went to Mc Donald's.

Blake's Nighttime Spooky hayride & 3 Story Haunted Barn - Armada
Imagine yourself on a journey through acres of unspeakable fiendish ghouls, special effects, laser beams, strobe lights, and unimaginable horror. Then you've found yourself in the midst of Michigan's larger than life Blake's Nighttime Spooky Hayride. If you survive that then you'll be dared to find your way through Michigan's only 3-Level Haunted Barn and Black Hole. Don't forget the free cider and donuts at the witches cauldron on the hayride! If you survive Blake's Halloween terrors, you can calm your nerves around one of the many bonfires.

Castle of the Dead - Roseville
The Halloween Season is fast approaching! If you haven't experienced the Castle... you have yet to experience true fear! I dare you to compare! NO haunted house can match the fear of the CASTLE OF THE DEAD!!!!!

Circus Park Corn Maze - Clio
This years theme is "Down on the Farm" in honor of our Illustrious Potentate Ivan C. Sparks. There are 2 mazes in our 10 acre field. Come on out and get lost! We will have flashlights available for you nighttime adventures and our nightly campfire will be roaring to warm you up on those chilly evenings.

ChelseaMaze - Chelsea
Our challenging maze has trivia signs and 3 separate entrances that promote competition and teamwork.

Crots Corn Maze - Ottawa Lake
We're open from September 19 through November 1, 2009 Saturday and Sunday Only!

Deadly Intentions - Warren
Our Only Goal is to Scare You to Death

Depner Farms Corn Maze - Caseville
"MaZe-O-Saurus" opened on August 7th and our return visitors are saying it's more corn-fusing than ever! We'll be here
each Saturday and Sunday 'til November 1st, so come on down and GET LOST for a half-a-day or maybe more Open Saturdays & Sundays 'til November 1st!

Erebus Haunted Attraction - Pontiac
World's Largest Walk Though Haunted House

Erwin's Barn of Horrors & Terrorfying Corn Maze - South Lyon
Erwin's Barn of Horrors with the Mystery of the Black Hole! "Where Evil Stalks"

Exit 13 - Mt. Morris
Flint Area's Preeminent Haunted House

Empire Eagles Field of Screams - Empire
A haywagon ride through a haunted Leelanau fores, always the last 2 weekends of October and Halloween.

Fear Farm - Casco
Corn Fun Family Farm has 2 challenging corn mazes with 4 miles of meandering trails, and for October we have added a new Haunted corn field!

Fun Acres Corn Maze - South Rockwood
Fun Acres Family Fun Farm is a seasonal agritourism adventure for families to learn and play. The combination of agriculture and entertainment is sure to both challenge and entertain your whole family!

Gruesome Encounters - Ortonville
Come experience an eerie evening of horrifying events that will haunt you for years to come when our souls of the underworld lore you into Gruesome Encounters.

Hallowe'en in Greenfield Village - Greenfield Village
Step back in time to a turn-of-the-20th century Hallowe'en. Follow an endless path of hand-carved jack-o-lanterns and meet colorful characters along the way. Feel the whoosh as the headless horseman rides by, banter with a clever witch, and make stops at several treat stations spread throughout Greenfield Village. It's frightfully fun for the whole family! Members of The Henry Ford receive discount admission and an exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets in advance.

Haunted Barn and Wagon of Fear - Mason
Enter if you dare the Haunted Barn maybe you'll be able to make it through to enjoy the next day or maybe not. Our barn is well over a hundred years old and has seen many strange things, if it could only talk or ... can it. We have many souls in the barn from the century past. Some farm animal souls still linger; they join us now and then. This time they're not on the dinner menu. Be prepared to experience a screaming good time.

Haunted Corn Maze - Bloomfield Hills
three mazes of varying conveniently located on eight acres at Bloomfield Hills Scholls' Historic Bowers Farm.

Haunted Farm of Terror - Lexon Township
Haunted Farm of Terror in Lenox TWP offers over 20 acres of haunted hayrides, corn mazes, horror movies, tasty treats and haunted houses for your haunted Halloween pleasure!

Haunted Hallows - Westland
Acres of Hair Raising Spooky Attractions

Haunted Barn & Maze - Imlay City
t's not just another predictable walk around a haunted house where some mechanical piece of cloth comes out and surprises you. Oh no, it is dark, can't see the hand in front of your face dark and you're never sure where or when “it” will get you….and if you have been here before….it's coming at you from a different direction…it can't be planned….it can't be anticipated….but it will be REAL, down to your toes, leaking down your leg…FRIGHTENING!!!

The Haunting - Adrian
The Haunting is Southeast Michigan's Greatest Haunted Attraction! Located in Adrian Michigan at the Lenawee County Fairgrounds just 30 minutes South of Ann Arbor and 30 minutes North of Toledo.

Hay Ride from Hell & Zombie Shoot - Pinckney
Take a ride through our haunted forest with lots of scares and Halloween horror. Your heart WILL be pounding by the end this ride!

This interactive lazer event takes both skill and nerve. Never ending zombies creep towards you as you try to shoot them dead. Earn points for every kill. Do you have what it takes to be #1 ?

Heck of a Corn Maze - Monroe
More than 8 acres! Open weekends September 12 - October 31

HellBlock13 - Wyandotte
You've heard the legends and told the rumors. Now find out the truth for yourself. With over 13,000 square feet and indoor waiting, this twisted twisting labyrinth of fear and torment will have your eyes bulging, skin crawling and heart pounding. See if you can break free from the imprisoned demons that are ready to pass judgment on your soul.

Jackson's Underworld - Jackson
Jackson's Underworld, were you'll uncover the soft underbelly of the most impressive animatronics and props not found in any other haunt in Michigan. As you trudge through the massive 30,000 sq ft, keep to the path, we wouldn't want you to get lost.

Jacob's Corn Maze - Traverse City
We are located 3.5 Miles from West Grand Traverse Bay off M-72. Our farm is on the left, on the hill, has a big silo, and is just past the big windmill!

Krazy Hilda's Barn of Doom & Coleman's Corn Maze - Saline
Be There If You Dare My Pretty...

Macabre Manistee County - Manistee
"Macabre Manistee County," which features haunted attractions, harvest festivals, food, music and much more, throughout October. And the Gatekeeper, the official mascot of Macabre Manistee County, will be visiting select events and greeting the public once again. He can be followed on Twitter (or is he following you?). There's so much to do, it's scary!

Miller's Big Red Haunted Hayride - Washington
The wagon pulls out once again as Miller's Big Red transforms the orchard into a foggy playground filled with 9 foot monsters, creatures of the night, and the Demon of Doom. Will you spot them before they spot you?

Morrow Road Haunted Trail & Hayride - Clay
The Morrow Road Film is having another Haunted Trail & Hayride! This fundraiser event will offer a chance to meet the director of the film, and the trail is even longer than last year's in a brand new location! And the hayride will take those brave enough to the actual haunted road at night.

Motor City Massacre - Roseville
Haunted House & Maze of Horror

New Salem Corn Maze - Dorr
Bring the whole family on down for the fall fun extravaganza! Activities include: hay rides, our corn maze, petting zoo, childrens corn maze, 5 acre pumpkin patch, and alot more!!

Night Stalkers Haunted House - Millington
Join the thousands that witnessed Night Stalkers last year. Every year we not only grow in size but we also add new monsters and scares so even if you came last year you are sure to be surprised! So join us this Haunt season, it's sure to be our best yet.

Join us this Halloween season as we celebrate another year of scaring you poor innocent mortals. We have 2 stories of terrors and chills to frighten the bravest among you. All indoors and over 8,000 square feet. Night Stalkers Haunted House is easily the biggest haunt in the Tri-Cities area! Night Stalkers immerses you in Hollywood-type scenes, fantastic creatures of the night as well as special effects and scares to make your nightmares come alive before your very eyes!

Night Terrors - Ypsilanti
Beware! This is not just another haunted house! The grounds of Wiard's Orchards south of Ypsilanti, Michigan (near Ann Arbor, in Washtenaw County) are said to be truly haunted. The history of these lands has lived in haunted houses of Michigan lore for centuries. Those who have dared to set foot on the haunted grounds of this old orchard say they can still hear the howling sounds of the night. At least it's been said by the few brave souls who have survived, and the fear will always live on with them. There comes a time in each of our lives when we must face our fears and face the terror of these haunted lands. What's your Fear? Is it the dark? Is it death? Is it the old neighborhood haunted house? Or is it just the unknown? Be prepared to confront those fears at one or all of the Wiard chilling haunted attractions: the Ultimate Haunted Barn, the Asylum, The Mineshaft, Hayrides of the Lost, The Labyrinth and Alien Caged Clowns. Because at Night Terrors WE PUT TERROR IN YOUR FACE!! We're NOT just another haunted house in Michigan!

Panic at Pine Stump Hollow - St. Clair
This Haunted Event Is Unlike Anything You Have Ever Seen Or Heard About. It Takes Place In An Eerie Haunted House And Outside In A Truly Ghostly Forest. There Is Nowhere To Run And Hide From What's Lurking Around The Corners And In The Trees. This Is Not For The Faint Of Heart, And We Welcome Anyone Who Thinks They Have What It Takes To Make It Through Pine Stump Hollow.

Phantasmagoria - Okemos
Lansing Area's Premiere Haunted House

Saint Lucifer's Haunted Asylum - Flint
Mid-Michigan's Top Scare

Salem's Haunted Barn - Capac
Terror comes home to the county... Call for paranormal haunts!

Scarefest Scream Park - Lenox Township
Featuring the Hayride of Doom and Forest of Darkness & Terror Zone Maze!! Metro Detroit's Halloween Park.

Slaughtered at Sundown - Armada
Glimpse the Grim Face of Death

Slaughterhouse, Haunted Maze & Blood Bath & Beyond Hayride - Fowlerville
Haunted House - Corn Maze - Haunted Maze - Haunted Hayride

Spooky Trails - Swartz Creek
Corn maze and other haunted attractions...

S.S. City of Milwaukee Annual Ghost Ship - Manistee
Fridays & Saturdays in October (and Halloween) the 76 year old car ferry features four stories of unsettling oddities

Talladay Farms Corn Maze - Milan
Maps are in sealed envelopes and cost $1. We have checkpoints throughout the maze. If you get lost, you can find a checkpoint and look on your map at the correlating numbers to figure out where you are. If you make it through the mazes without opening the map, you get your dollar back. We will also have letters on the checkpoints. If you can find all of the checkpoints and write down each letter that is at the checkpoints, your name will be submitted for a grand prize drawing at the end of the season!

Terror in Townsend Forest - Clarkston
Dusk til Last Victim, ¼ Mile of TERROR Filled Forest Trails

Terrorfied Forest & Manor - Pinckney
Welcome to The Terrorfied Forest, Southeastern Michigan's Premier Outdoor Haunted Attraction. It's not for the faint of heart, This is TEEN & ADULT entertainment. The tall pines whisper for you to "come, Join your departed ancestors", as you walk among them.
Should you choose to ignore them, they have been known to emerge out of a tree and make off with your soul. You will never know when or where they will appear, but they will know where you are and strike at your most vulnerable moment.

The Crypt Haunted House - Burton
More thrills and chills than ever! It is in your face Crypt chilling! A haunted house with actors and more state of the art effects than any other haunt! Experience the black hole, claustrophobia & more, so beware of the Crypt! Not recommended for small children or sissies.

The Deadland Haunted House - Davison
Bring all your friends out to see what we have in store for you...

The Fear Factory - Mt. Clemens
30 Minutes of Relentless Bloody Terror

The Haunted Forest - Dryden
Take a guided 20 minute tour through the haunted forest. The forest is not recommended for children under ten.

The Haunted Castle - Beverly Hills
A family friendly haunted house that's scary. But don't worry (too much). While the Haunted Castle contains great scares and awesome sets, there's none of the gore found at other haunted attractions. Crawl through hidden passageways, wade through the swamp, and avoid the bottomless pit. You might get out alive.

This is a Hollywood style haunted attraction, with exceptional set design, and attention to detail. If you like Disney's Haunted Mansion, but wish it was scarier, you'll love the Haunted Castle.

The Haunted Winery - Farmington
"We Are Not Out To Make A Killing -We Just Want To Scare The Hell Out Of You!"

The Haunting - Adrian
A Haunted House to Die For

The Homer Mill - Homer
Ever Been So Scared the Hairs on the Back of Your Neck Stand Up?

The Lab - Grosse Ile
Called one of the best themed attractions in the U.S. by Haunted Attractions Magazine, The Lab boasts more scares per square foot than any other haunted attraction. Gen-Tech Laboratories is a secret government funded genetics lab, where something has gone wrong…very wrong. Mutants, freaks, zombies and 9-ft tall monsters roam the halls, along with all the demented doctors who are ready to use you as their next experiment in this interactive adventure.

The Scream Machine - Taylor
The Scream Machine IS BACK!! HAS BEEN REVAMPED AND EXPANDED!! With new special effects and scares for the 2009 season including BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND.. THE HELLEVATOR!! THIS PORTAL TO THE UNKNOWN takes you to the depths of your worst FEARS WERE NIGHTMARES AND REALITY COLLIDE.

Spook Train - Bridgeport
Michigan's best Halloween Happening Enjoy the scenic ride with 250 Jack O' Lanterns lighting the way. Filled with thrills and chills, from over 80 different scenes along the track. Lots of surprises from our live spooks. The scenes are funny, cute, and scary. This all adds up to a very exciting way to experience Halloween.

Twist of Evil - Brownstown
Twist of Evil is Downriver's Premeir Haunted Attraction... THE PLACE THAT GIVES DEMONS NIGHTMARES!!

Uncle John's Cider Mill Corn Maze - St. Johns
Get lost in Uncle John's 5-acre corn maze!

Westview Orchards Corn Maze - Washington
Well, you knew Tom Izzo was outstanding in his field ... so he's been honored with a six-acre corn maze in his image.

Katrina Schumacher, co-owner of Westview Orchards and Adventure Farm in Washington Township, said Izzo and Michigan State's Final Four run were the inspirations for the maze -- which proclaims him "Coach of the Ear." Ha!

Wicked Hill Scream Park - Birch Run
8,000 feet of Haunt Experience!

Wrong Turn Campground & Bloody Butcher House! - Hudson
Hours: Dusk 'til whenever!

Live Football

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Entry to the Festival is FREE, and food and drink are available to purchase. A bevy of chefs are working with nearby farms to create affordable tasting portions of the best of the region's harvest. They'll have dozens of local libations (beer, wine, mead and hard cider) for grown-ups to enjoy. Project Grow will be back with their astounding heirloom tomato tasting - over 50 varieties to try! Lots of kids' activities (mural arts, music-making), a huge silent auction, a "Know Your Farmer" farmstand, dozens of artisan vendors, and a fantastic lineup of music for shaking your tailfeathers. They're on Facebook too!

Last year's Festival drew over 5000 people and September has historically been Ann Arbor's Local Food Month. Although Washtenaw County spends over $1 billion dollars per year on its food, less than 1% of that food is grown locally. Keeping those food dollars circulating locally not only helps create more farms and stimulate the local economy, it also support community food security: the ability to be self-sufficient in producing enough to feed folks.

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Grand Rapids Farmers Market 2009 by RichardDemingPhotography

A Grand Rapids institution since 1922 commonly known as "the Farmer's Market," the Fulton Street Market offers locally-grown fruits and vegetables, plants and home-made arts and crafts. Reap the benefits and pleasures of freshly-picked fruits and vegetables, as well as hand-made items!

The Fulton Street Farmer's Market has provided local produce to the City of Grand Rapids for over eighty years. The Market is located in the Midtown Neighborhood and is operated by the Neighborhood Association. The Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department provides this venue offering produce, flowers, meat, eggs, and local handmade items as a service to the residents of Grand Rapids. Farmers markets provide a unique opportunity for urban dwellers to connect with food producers and are great places to meet friends.

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sweet corn! by PepOmint

While corn is not yet ready to pick in northern Michigan where Taste the Local Difference is based, I did see a photo pop up yesterday in the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr showing that corn is ready to pick in southern Michigan.

The folks at TLD note that corn is a good source of Vitamin A, C, and the B's, phosphorus, potassium, and (surprisingly) it is also a source of protein. Here's a few tips on selecting & storing corn:

• Look for husks that are green, with golden tassels and kernels that look plump.
• Eat sweet corn soon after harvest; it loses its sweetness quickly.
• Keep fresh sweet corn refrigerated or on ice with the husks on.
• Use older corn for soups and baked dishes.
• For longer-term storage, blanch corn for 3-5 minutes, rinse under cold water, and drain. Place in an airtight container and freeze.

For those who want a little more than simply corn on the cob, how about:

Macro Corn by smiles7

Corn in a Garlic Butter Crust

6 ears of corn on the cob
salt
1 cup butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Boil the corn in salted water until tender, then leave to cool. Melt the butter and add the oil, garlic, and black pepper. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish. Mix the breadcrumbs and parsley in another shallow dish. Roll the corn in the melted butter mixture and then in the breadcrumbs. Broil the corn under a high broiler until the breadcrumbs are golden. Serves 6.

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Untitled by jenny murray

First Michigan Cherries
by RichardDemingPhotography

Taste the Local Difference says that sweet cherries are ready to pick! A quick check of Real Time Farms and the photos in the Absolute Michigan pool shows that cherries are available across Michigan. They were available so early this year that the National Cherry Festival which is happening now and usually has to import cherries was able to use local cherries. A few facts about cherries:

• Cherries are an excellent source of Vitamin C and a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron, folate, and fiber.
• Cherries have among the highest levels of antioxidants compared with other fruits.
• The United States produces more than 650 million pounds of tart and sweet cherries. Michigan grows about 75 percent of the U.S. crop of tart cherries, and about 20 percent of the US crop of sweet cherries.
• Some of the sweet cherry varieties grown in Michigan are: Emperor, Napoleon, Francis, and Schmidt.
• Some studies show that eating about 20 cherries a day could reduce inflammatory pain and headache pain.

You can get lots more cherry goodness from Taste the Local Difference's cherry articles and also at absolutemichigan.com/Cherries! Speaking of cherry goodness and in keeping with the no-fuss style of cooking that summertime requires, here's a couple of easy cherry recipes that we like:

(Grand Rapids) cherries by creed_400

Cherries with Ricotta and Toasted Almonds
3/4 cup fresh or frozen pitted cherries
2 Tbsp. part-skim ricotta
1 Tbsp. toasted slivered almonds

If frozen, heat cherries in the microwave briefly to soften. Otherwise, top the cherries with ricotta and almonds. (Food Network)

Cherry Kabobs

Partially freeze 2 cups of sweet cherries, then thread them on skewers, alternating with 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks. Combine: 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. honey, and1/2 tsp. curry powder in a small bowl; mix well.

Place kabobs on grill over medium coals. Brush with mixture. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, turning and basting with sauce after each turn. (Taste the Local Difference's own Janice Benson)

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emil hates rhubarb by yodraws

Taste the Local Difference says that rhubarb is in season. They note that rhubarb is high in Vitamins A and C, calcium and fiber and that one cup of diced rhubarb contains about 26 calories. It's often called the "pie plant and for centuries, the dried root of the plant was used for healing purposes and so prized that Russian czars had a state monopoly over "crown" rhubarb. The leaves of rhubarb contain oxalic acid and are unsafe to eat in quantity (so don't).

Whenever I hear rhubarb, I think about strawberry-rhubarb pie and also baseball announcers saying we've got a real rhubarb on the diamond". I wondered about that (because that's apparently what i get paid to do) and found the best explanation of the origins of that slang and a whole ton more about rhubarb at everything2.com:

Today a rhubarb is synonymous with melees and free for alls, but in Shakespeare's day when a play called for a crowd scene, the director gathered an assembly of actors and had them noisily mutter something akin to "Rhu-bar-bar, rhu-bar-bar ,rhu-bar-bar, which reverberated through the theatre like the sounds of an angry horde. " Try it. I'll bet you sound pretty threatening,   especially if you've got a couple of friends with you. From this "rhubarb" eventually came to be theatrical slang for "commotion." Rhubarb meant 'to make crowd noises', and actors who did it   were called "rhubarbers." This standard stage practice then became a verb "rhubarbing", eventually "rhubarb" came to mean, "fight."

I think we were talking about rhubarb as food, though, so here's a recipe for Lizzy's Rhubarb Bread from MyNorth.com:

Tag Team by dailyinvention

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced rhubarb (or more to taste)

Topping:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Mix together all bread ingredients. Pour into two 6-inch greased and floured loaf pans. Before baking, mix together and sprinkle topping over batter. Bake at 325 °F for 40 to 60 minutes or until an inserted broom straw [or toothpick] comes out clean. Makes two 6-inch loaves.

For all things rhubarb visit the rhubarb compendium website...

On the photo above, Stefan writes: My grandparents do almost everything together. They're inseparable and an unstoppable team when it comes to making rhubarb pie.

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"I started Real Time Farms because I wanted to create a dynamic, exciting, and information-rich way to connect consumers to fresh sources of food. I noticed that while there was an increasing number of wonderful farmer's markets, farm stands, and locally-sourced restaurants and grocers around the country, there didn't seem to be a coherent, real-time, information-rich way to view what was available. I believe that when people know more about where their food comes from, they are led naturally towards choices that are healthiest for themselves and the environment."

Anyone can post photos of their favorite market, vendor, or farm stand by simply uploading photos from their camera or emailing photos with their smartphone to share@realtimefarms.com. The site already features tagged photos from numerous people of market stalls and produce from Ann Arbor, Traverse City and other locations around the state and country. You can also see collections of photos at each market or farm, find out what restaurants and grocers the farms source and learn who produces everything from basil to beef.

Head over to realtimefarms.com (twitter/facebook) to get started and also check out this article from AnnArbor.com.

Dig into Michigan farms and farmers markets on Absolute Michigan.

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